As long as the flash bulbs were popping and the cheers filled his ears, David Seaman lingered on the pitch to soak up the limelight at the Millennium Stadium.

As long as the flash bulbs were popping and the cheers filled his ears, David Seaman lingered on the pitch to soak up the limelight at the Millennium Stadium.

Eventually, with most of his team-mates already in the showers, he tore himself away, raised his arms to applaud each section of Arsenal fans before trotting down the tunnel with the FA Cup clamped to his chest. And who could blame him for milking the moment?

Whether Seaman's career experiences any more such moments depends on the decision Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will make this week.

Should he ask pony-tailed Seaman, 40 in September and increasingly resembling a Status Quo roadie, for one more year's service? Or should he say `Thanks, but no thanks' to one of the most loyal servants in the club's history?

The fervent hope is that he propels Seaman on to the goalkeeping scrapheap graciously and painlessly but also as swiftly as possible.

That might seem harsh after Seaman was instrumental in delivering Arsenal's ninth FA Cup with a late reaction save from Brett Ormerod's rasping drive after Robert Pires had scored the game's only goal.

But picking the right moment to call time on an illustrious career is one of the trickiest decisions in the whole of sport.

Almost always it is done either too early as in the case of tennis's Bjorn Borg, or too late, in the shape of any manner of boxing greats, including Muhammad Ali.

For Seaman the time is now with plaudits from Wenger - "He's still the best goalkeeper in England" - and Southampton manager Gordon Strachan - "I just wish he'd retired a week ago" - ringing in his ears, the gratitude of an Arsenal faithful warm in his heart and a winner's medal in his pocket.

The cold analysis is that one superb save from Ormerod was accompanied by three dodgy kicks, an unconvincing flap from a Paul Telfer strike and footwork coming for corners which would not have been out of place at throwing-out time in Cardiff High Street.

The signs do not lie and not even his cruellest critic would want to see Seaman endure the derision at club level he suffered when conceding direct from a corner in his most recent England match against Macedonia last October.

That is no way to be remembered. Much better that Arsenal's 2003 FA Cup triumph was recalled as Seaman's vintage farewell, especially as it is unlikely to stay in the memory for much else.

Thank heavens for the silky movement of Thierry Henry, deservedly named man-of-the-match even though he missed a hatful of chances and was then booked by referee Graham Barber in the second half for an obvious penalty-box dive.

Thank heavens, too, for Arsenal's sake, for a display of solidity from Oleg Luzhny which helped shore up Arsenal's Sol Campbell-less defence and a midfield performance of impressive drive and determination from Gilberto Silva.

However, what the history books will not record about the 122nd FA Cup final was something as unique as it was cheering. And that was the behaviour of the Southampton fans. We have become so inured to the vile chants and tribal rivalries which permeate British football that to see the luminous yellow ocean of Saints stay behind in their entirety at the end to witness the presentations and cheer their beaten team was uplifting.

With their painted faces and obvious delight they sang themselves hoarse, bringing a family feel and sense of occasion to English football's showpiece as opposed to the Arsenal supporters who, having been there and done that, treated it as just another day.

Saints manager Gordon Strachan spoke of his pride in his team.

Under his guidance, Southampton have won friends and promise even better days ahead with big crowds, an experienced squad and Uefa Cup football next season.